LaDainian Tomlinson on Falcons' Bijan Robinson: 'I Think the Comparisons Are Fair'

Atlanta Falcons rookie running back Bijan Robinson has yet to play a snap in the NFL, but he's already drawing comparisons to Hall of Famers.

Former star running back LaDanian Tomlinson is one of the players who Robinson is frequently compared to, and the 44-year-old told The Athletic's Josh Kendall that he can see the similarities:

"I think the comparisons are fair. All the things that I've heard about in terms of him being compared to me, I can see that. Being able to catch it, being able to run inside, outside, being able to block, being able to do all these different things where you're not taken off the football field. The one thing about it is … you also have to have the stamina. You have to be able to handle the workload. That's why I think it is fair because he's proven all those things."

The Falcons selected Robinson with the eighth overall pick in this year's draft, bucking the growing NFL trend of not using a premium draft pick on a running back. Prior to Robinson, the last running back drafted in the top 10 was Saquon Barkley, who was selected second overall by the New York Giants in 2018.

Robinson is a versatile talent who can make an impact both as a runner and as a receiver. During his junior year at Texas, he rushed for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns on 258 carries while adding 19 catches for 314 yards and two more scores on his way to earning the Doak Walker Award and being voted as a unanimous All-American.

The Falcons will certainly be excited to utilize Robinson in a variety of ways when they open the 2023 season on Sept. 10 against the NFC South-rival Carolina Panthers.